Preventing MRSA

In recent years, rates of MRSA have fallen because of increased awareness of the infection by both medical staff and the public. However, MRSA still places a considerable strain on healthcare services.

Some people who need to be admitted to hospital will have MRSA screening beforehand (see below), but there are also some things you can do yourself to reduce your risk of becoming infected. These include:

washing your hands frequently – especially after using the toilet, and before and after eating

following any advice you're given about wound care and devices that could lead to infection (such as urinary catheters)

reporting any unclean toilet or bathroom facilities to staff – don't be afraid to talk to staff if you're concerned about hygiene

If you're visiting someone in hospital, you can reduce the chance of spreading MRSA by cleaning your hands before and after entering the ward. You should also use hand wipes or hand gel before touching the person you're visiting.

Screening for MRSA

Some patients admitted to hospital for planned or emergency care are screened to see if they carry MRSA on their skin. This helps to reduce the chance of patients developing an MRSA infection or passing an infection on to other patients.

During the screening process, a cotton bud (swab) will be run over your skin, so it can be checked for MRSA bacteria. Swabs may be taken from different places, such as the inside of your nose, your throat, armpit, groin and any areas of damaged or open skin.

If MRSA bacteria are found, treatment with antibacterial bodywash or shampoo and nasal cream to remove the bacteria from your skin will usually need to be carried out before you're admitted.

Treating MRSA infections

Although MRSA infections can be more difficult to treat than other bacterial infections, they're still treatable because the MRSA bacteria aren't resistant to all antibiotics.

Minor skin infections may not always require any treatment, other than draining away any pus from the site of the infection, but in most other cases you'll be treated with antibiotics that MRSA has not yet developed resistance to.

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, antibiotic tablets or injections will be used and you may need to have a combination of antibiotics or take types of antibiotics that are rarely used for less serious infections.

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Comments

The 5 comments about ‘MRSA Infection’ posted are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

Josef Mengele said on 23 April 2015

Helpful indeed, but that's much more complicated. There are things about MRSA that most infected do not know.If you are interested check this helpful video information about Staph infection: youtu.be/UtwoPE9otqw

csmason96 said on 18 April 2013

racheljp said on 03 September 2012

I had a bowel op last year and caught MRSA! I have since been told that I again have to have another operation. I am slightly concerned about getting MRSA again. My consultant as told me that I will be getting an antibiotic drip before and after they operate, what are my chances of being okay this time?

hot mumma said on 04 May 2012

ive recently been told a family member has mrsa and that its spread to the nose groin and cervics shes saying shes had it a year but didnt know she just thought it was a bad case of trush she has children and her son had what we thought was exema but are now being told its mrsa but i cant find any info stating these symtoms also shes been told it can lead to cervical cancer and again cant find anything stating this